Phoenix Song
by LyraAndCassiopia
Summary: Post-Voldemort story. This stars not Harry's child, but Draco's. Different from what you might expect. Take a look!


"Mum, I don't want to, I want to go home!" I said, looking around me.  
  
"No Phoenix don't even think about it. Come here. Take my hand."  
  
Gulping nervously I put my hand in my mother's. I watched as she surveyed the station with sharp brown eyes. Then we moved forward.  
  
"Mum . . ." I whispered. My mum squeezed my hand. I eyed the solid brick barrier with more than a little trepidation.  
  
I held my breath and in an instant we were through. My hand dropped to my side and my jaw dropped to the floor. There were wizards and witches of all kinds, all hurrying about, their voices nearly drowned out by the squawks of owls, the meows of cats, and the croaks of toads. Many were loading trunks onto a gigantic scarlet steam engine. A sign above my head read 'Platform Eight and Two Thirds'.  
  
"Come on love, let's get your trunk loaded." My mum said briskly and we walked toward the engine, Mum lugging my trunk and me clutching Sthira, my orange tabby cat. I looked around nervously at all the people. I'd thought Diagon Alley was bad, but Platform Eight and Two Thirds was downright scary. I'd never seen so many witches and wizards and owls in my life - granted, I hadn't seen too many people, either. Mum and I lived in a deserted part of Scotland where few people bothered us, but there had been two girls for me to play with. They weren't my age, though. And here there were loads of kids my age and older.  
  
I stood by, petting Sthira anxiously as Mum made room for my trunk. I looked around, taking in the happy, laughing kids and sad, worried parents. I looked almost longingly at the fathers hugging their sons and daughters - I didn't know anything about my own. Mum had said that he was still alive, but they weren't on speaking terms.  
  
I shrugged off my jealousy. I didn't need a dad. I had Mum. She was as good as four parents combined.  
  
"Okay Nix, off to find a compartment."  
  
But we were hailed.  
  
"Lyra! LYRA!"  
  
Mum whirled around. Her face split into a wide, joyful grin.  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
I watched in bewilderment as my mum hugged a very pretty red-haired woman. My eyes wandered to the side. A black-haired man with green eyes stood watching, smiling. He was holding a bundle of green robes that might have held a baby. Beside him stood a young red-haired girl with her father's green eyes, watching the reunion with wide eyes. Next to the girl was as black-haired young boy with glasses who looked barely older than the girl was. He was watching his father and the bundle of robes. And next to him - I clutched Sthira to me - a boy with black hair and brown eyes was watching me curiously.  
  
"Oh, Ginny it's been forever! You don't have a child starting at Hogwarts, do you? Why on earth are you here?" my mum stammered upon releasing the red- haired woman.  
  
"Lyra, we haven't seen you in forever! After school you just disappeared, and we knew your daughter would be starting this year and you would be here and -"  
  
The woman suddenly looked down and her eyes found mine. She went silent.  
  
"Oh, excuse my poor manners," Mum leapt to my side. "Ginny, this is Phoenix, my daughter. Phoenix, this is Ginny Potter. She's a good friend of mine, has been since school. We were in the same year." Mum turned me toward the black haired man and his children. "This is Harry Potter, he was a friend of mine too but somewhat distant. And who are these children, Harry?"  
  
Harry smiled kindly at me and then my mum.  
  
"Lyra, meet Lily Potter, James Potter, Tom Potter, and Virginia Potter." Harry said in a pleasant voice, pointing to the red-haired girl, the black- haired boy, the boy who had been watching me, and the bundle of robes in his arms. Mum went to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the baby while Ginny Potter walked to me. I watched her apprehensively.  
  
"Hello Phoenix." The woman said in a soft voice. She bent down so that she was eye level with me.  
  
"Hi," I said awkwardly.  
  
"You know, I knew you when you were just a little baby." Ginny said, smiling at me. "You were so cute, too. You had a little sprinkling of hair so pale we barely knew it was even there. And you were so sweet for your mother - never cried, never caused any trouble. But then your mum and I graduated, when you were just two, and I never saw you again. Where have you and your mum been?"  
  
"We . . .we have a place in Scotland . . . no one else is there except for a really nice family with two daughters. Emily, Orchid, and I played together. But they are six and seven respectively this year; and they're not witches." I said, the words gushing forth. Ginny smiled.  
  
"All right Gin, enough interrogating my daughter, we have a train to board. I'm the new History of Magic teacher, didn't you know?"  
  
"Really?" said Harry, intrigued. "What happened to Binns?"  
  
"Oh, I think he finally realized that he was dead. He decided to stop teaching and spend a while in some Ghost Town in America, said he had dead relatives there. Dumbledore sent me a letter - the owl scared Sthira real bad, that's Phoenix's cat - and I took the job. After all, Phoenix is starting this year, so I figured why not?"  
  
"If you want your job," Ginny said, grinning widely, "you'll catch the train. It's ten fifty-six."  
  
Mum and Ginny exchanged hugs and promises and then we were walking along the train, looking for open doors.  
  
Finally we found one. Mum led me in. I hugged Sthira to me. She mewed once.  
  
Mum caught us an empty compartment and we sat down. I put Sthira on the seat beside me (she immediately curled up in a ball and fell asleep) and put my hands on the table.  
  
"Want to play chess?" Mum said, grinning devilishly. I grinned back.  
  
"Sure. I'm always up for a good win."  
  
As my pawn took out hers and began a very violent battle of chess, the train spewed steam and lurched forward.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm winning!" I cried victoriously.  
  
"No you aren't!" Mum yelled back, eyes darting across the board, looking for a way to win.  
  
"Yes I am! Yes I am!" I chanted gleefully.  
  
There was a knock on the door. I leapt up, overcome by my good mood, and yanked the door open.  
  
A boy with tidy black hair and chocolate brown eyes was standing there. I grinned at him.  
  
"Hello!" I sang. I could hear Mum muttering to herself about 'bloody knights' and 'stupid bishops' behind me. The boy smiled a little tentatively.  
  
"Hello." He replied.  
  
"Wanna come in?" I invited. He grinned thankfully.  
  
I led the boy inside and took my place across from Mum. She looked up briefly at the boy.  
  
"Hello," she said, a little darkly. I grinned happily at her, which annoyed her.  
  
"Hello," said the boy again.  
  
There was a moment of silence before Mum looked at me.  
  
"Oh!" I said loudly. "I'm Phoenix Orion, and this is my mum, Lyra Orion."  
  
"I'm Alexander Flint," said the boy.  
  
"Aha!" Mum's voice caught my attention. "Gotcha!"  
  
I looked down at the chessboard in disbelief. I was in checkmate. I shot my mother a suspicious look and studied the board more closely.  
  
"No you haven't!" I shouted, pointing to an out-of-place knight. "He was way away from there!"  
  
Mum sighed wistfully.  
  
"I'd hoped I could fool you."  
  
"You know the rules," I said, smiling. She knocked over her king, who immediately began shouting about 'insolent humans' and 'lousy cheating scumbags'.  
  
"You try to cheat you lose." She recited sadly.  
  
"I won!" I cried, jumping up and doing an odd sort of jig. Then I noticed Alexander Flint staring at me. I sat back down quickly, my earlier outgoing attitude wearing off.  
  
"Can I . . . sit down?" he said timidly.  
  
"Sure, go ahead." I muttered a little shyly. He sat down beside me. When my mum caught my eye I turned a little red.  
  
The next few hours were spent in discussion. Alexander brought Mum and I up to date on what was new in the wizarding world ("Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic! An excellent choice!" she exclaimed looking delighted), told us what his mum and dad had told him about Hogwarts so far ("That's nonsense, the ghosts don't try to kill you, they're dead! They couldn't even touch you if they tried. Peeves, however, is a different matter." She said grimly), and shared some of his ambitions ("Oh, excellent, doing well in school is definitely a good idea, although, maybe you shouldn't focus too much on Quidditch, I mean, it's not the most important thing in life . . .").  
  
When the lunch trolley arrived, we were more than ready to eat.  
  
Alex (as he told us to call him) only had a bit of spare gold on him, so Mum ended up buying us loads of candy. We tried not to smirk too much as we dug into a mountain of Pumpkin Pasties and Mum sat back, muttering and eating a Cauldron Cake.  
  
As the sky began to lighten and the sun drew nearer to the horizon, Alex and I started up a game of Exploding Snap. We were halfway through when the whole thing blew up in our faces. I looked temporarily scary with my pale eyebrows and hair singed until Mum fixed it.  
  
For a while Mum regaled us with tales of her days. She told us how she'd lived with her grandmother, and the first spell that had ever been performed in front of her (my great-grandmother was trying to prove that witchcraft and wizardry existed and she set the tablecloth on fire; Mum said that great-grandmother soaked *her* with water before she managed to spray the fire out). She told us of her friendships and hardships, and of the teachers at Hogwarts. Alex and I were particularly interested in the teachers.  
  
"Minerva McGonagall taught Transfiguration. I expect she'll still be teaching it; this year will be her fiftieth. Potions? Oh, Severus Snape taught that. He may still be teaching, I'm not sure - if he is and he has gray hair, I'll be able to laugh in his face and get away with it. Er, let's see . . . oh, Arithmancy, I didn't take that but Ginny did, said it was a great subject. Um, Somebody Vector was teaching, I dunno about now, maybe. A ghost called Buttleworth Binns taught history of Magic. Oh, don't laugh at his name, it's not even funny. But I'm going to teach that this year. We always had a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Ginny told me that in her first year some smarmy idiot called Gilderoy Lockhart was teaching and she didn't learn a thing. In my first year at Hogwarts, when I was a fourth year, we had the most horrible woman you could ever imagine teaching, her name was Dolores Umbridge I believe, but she was horrid -"  
  
Alex and I shared nervous looks as we felt the train beginning to slow.  
  
"Um, Mum, what are we supposed to do after -"  
  
"Don't worry," Mum cut me off, "there will be someone calling for first years. Just go with them and you'll probably have to sail across the lake to Hogwarts, that's what I did in my first year at this school."  
  
Mum magicked up a thick veil cutting the compartment in half so that we could change. I pulled on my black wizard's robes thankfully, leaving my pants and shirt on under just in case. Alex, however, was uncomfortable wearing Muggle attire and had to change clothes completely.  
  
As the train shuddered to a stop, we all stood. Mum was looking a bit green and I understood how she felt. I myself felt as though I might spew my Chocolate Frogs any moment. Alex didn't look much different.  
  
Mum pushed the door open and we filed into the line of students clamoring to get out. Mum had to grab Alex's and my robes at one point so that we wouldn't get separated.  
  
Eventually the three of us made it off the train and stood, taking in the dark night and the cool air. I gave my cat reluctantly to a train conductor.  
  
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"  
  
"Off you go," said Mum, giving me a shove. I gave her a quick hug before walking toward a gigantic figure, Alex at my side.  
  
We had to wait a few minutes before the man (I think Mum had called him Hagrid) turned and began walking.  
  
I crashed into not only the wet earthy wall as we walked down a slightly narrow path, but also Alex and the people next to me. I was spared any extra embarrassment when a girl with long, dirty blonde hair caused a sort of domino effect on all of us first years.  
  
"Yeh'll get yer firs' look at Hogwarts 'ere 'n a minute!" Hagrid called back to us excitedly. I peered around a bend -  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Alex crashed into me, sending both of us into the wall.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered and helped me up. We were at the back of the line now. We turned the corner and -  
  
"Wow!" I whispered, awe-struck.  
  
"Four to a boat, come on now, we 'aven't got that much time," Hagrid instructed, and Alex and I hopped into the fist boat.  
  
Two girls with identical pale-yellow hair and eerie light blue eyes were sitting there, staring at Hogwarts, neither speaking.  
  
"Erm, hello," I said as the boats began to move. One of the girls turned to me and fixed me with that eerie blue stare.  
  
"Who are you?" she said in a curious tone.  
  
"Er, I'm Phoenix Orion and this is Alexander Flint," I told her, gesturing to Alex and myself accordingly. The girl gave me an appraising look before tugging on the other's arm. Now both girls were watching us with light blue gazes.  
  
"I'm Leighna Cane and this is my twin sister, Leighanna," said the girl I'd spoken too.  
  
"Hi," said Alex a bit nervously.  
  
As we sailed to the huge castle, no one spoke. Leighanna went back to staring at it, but Leighna continued watching me. It made me more than a little worried and self-conscious.  
  
The boats touched up against the ground and we got out. I stayed close to Alex as Hagrid led us across the grounds. We stepped up the stone steps to the castle and paused. Hagrid turned to look over us all.  
  
"Ever'one here? Good, all right," then he turned and knocked three times into the silence.  
  
The door flew open at once.  
  
"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid, motioning at them. A stern-looking witch with black hair to her shoulders and more than a few gray hairs and wrinkles nodded sharply.  
  
"Thank you Hagrid," she said, then turned to us. "Follow me."  
  
We stepped up through the doorway and into an enormous hall. Alex had to prod me to keep me from staring.  
  
From a door to the right of us came the noises of hundreds of people, but Professor McGonagall brought us into a small, empty chamber off the entrance hall. We crowded in, standing a bit closer than we would have on other occasions. I was nearly shoved right into Alex as we all pressed together.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said into the silence. "The Beginning Feast will take place shortly, but before you are seated in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is an extremely important ceremony because while you remain here, your house will resemble your family at Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.  
  
"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and from each have come outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, and any rule breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house you belong to.  
  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as possible while you are waiting."  
  
Her sharp eyes lingered on a few students, including myself. I was puzzled until Alex muttered that I had a clump of earth in my hair. I brushed it off quickly.  
  
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Wait quietly."  
  
She left the chamber. I swallowed.  
  
"What - what are we supposed to do?" I whispered to Alex. In all her tales, Mum had never told me this part of attending Hogwarts.  
  
"I dunno," said Alex, looking lost.  
  
"I heard someone saying we had to fight off a werewolf!" a girl with curly brown hair said quietly to us. Alex's eyes widened.  
  
"No, that's not right, werewolves are only in the full moon," I said immediately. "This isn't the full moon."  
  
The curly-haired girl looked dubious, but returned to her gaggle of girls.  
  
"Alex," I hissed, "I've never done magic, Mum didn't let me use her wand, I don't know any spells except how to set things on fire! What if I'm no good? What if they chuck me out?"  
  
"Shush," Alex said quietly. I stopped rambling, biting my lip.  
  
"Please form a line," came a voice. I looked up. Professor McGonagall was back. "Follow me. We're ready for you."  
  
I got in line behind a black-haired boy with Alex right behind me. We walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.  
  
I gasped quite audibly as we entered. I had never seen a more amazing place in all my life. Thousands and thousands of rust-colored candles were floating in midair above four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. I caught Mum's eyes and gave her a small wave. Professor McGonagall led us up here, so that we were facing the students with the teachers behind us. I looked behind me to give Mum a little smile.  
  
Hundreds of faces that looked like pale lanterns with the flickering candlelight upon them stared at us. Dotted here and there among students were pearly, translucent figures I knew to be ghosts. I looked up briefly at the velvety black ceiling sprinkled with stars. Mum had told me it was bewitched to look like the outside sky.  
  
I watched as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of us. On top of it she put a wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Noticing that everyone in the hall was staring at the hat, I watched it too. For a few seconds there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip in the rim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:  
  
"For a thousand years I've been here, Singing songs for those like you, I chirp new songs for each new throng, But don't think that's all I do. I can peer inside your mind and note, Your thoughts, your memories, I can view whatever you may hide, That no one ever sees. If you are to be Gryffindor, You're hiding bravery, You may indeed be Ravenclaw, If knowledge is most savory. Or you could be Hufflepuff, You can't hide if you are loyal, Or you might be a Slytherin, If the cleverest you can foil. So do not be afraid to try My brim upon your hair, For I will feel what you conceal, And place you with those who care."  
  
The hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each table and fell still.  
  
"We have to try on the hat!" Alex breathed and my knees nearly gave way.  
  
"Oh, thank god, I don't fancy battling werewolves."  
  
"Thought you said it wasn't the full moon," muttered Alex.  
  
"I lied," I replied softly.  
  
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward, holding a long scroll of parchment.  
  
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said, then consulted the scroll. "Baldwin, Susanne!"  
  
A brown-haired girl with ice-like eyes stepped forward, a tinge of fear on her expressionless face. She sat on the stool, pulled the hat right over her eyes, and waited.  
  
There was silence for a moment. Then -  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
The table on the far right clapped and cheered as Susanne joined them. I saw a large painting of a badger suspended above it.  
  
"Brown, Kayla!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat and Kayla went to the table on the near right.  
  
"Cane, Leeanna!"  
  
"*Lay*-anna!" the yellow-haired girl corrected as she sat on the stool. A few people laughed.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Leighanna went to join Susanne.  
  
"Cane, Leighna!" Professor McGonagall made sure to pronounce the second twin's name right. Leighna pulled the hat over her head gracefully.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
She joined her sister.  
  
"Clavell, Mrinal!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Flint, Alexander!"  
  
"Good luck," I whispered as he moved toward the stool. I held my breath as he dropped the hat over his head. A moment's silence . . .  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
I clapped loudly as he joined the serpent's house.  
  
I watched as "Hughes, Sarah" became a Ravenclaw. Then another set of twins, including the dirty-blonde girl who had caused the domino effect leading to the boats, became Slytherins. "Lundburg, Tawni" and "Michener, Kaylee" both went to Ravenclaw. I knew my name was growing near. I clutched my robes tightly and waited.  
  
"Onaedo, Mahalah!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Orion, Phoenix!"  
  
I paled but stepped forward on shaky legs. I sat quickly and pulled the hat over my eyes.  
  
'Ah, you're an interesting specimen,' said a voice in my ear and my eyes widened. 'Yes, I'm talking to you so that no one else might hear. It's very convenient. Now, let's see . . . yes, you're a smart one, you'd make a wonderful Ravenclaw, but you're extremely ambitious . . . yes, I think Slytherin is the house for you. You have two Slytherin parents, after all. Oh, and you have a friend already in Slytherin, that is definitely right for you. SLYTHERIN!"  
  
It must have shouted the last word to the hall for I heard clapping. I removed the hat from my head and replaced it on the stool, walking unsteadily to Alex. I took the seat next to him. He gave me a big smile.  
  
"Welcome to Slytherin," said an older student, smiling at me as well.  
  
I surveyed the High Table, giving my mum a thumbs up as "Seibold, Gretchen" tried on the hat. As she was made a Slytherin I caught the eye of a man no older than my mum, with hair very much like my own and gray eyes that were wide in what looked like surprise. He was staring at me fixedly. Feeling nervous, I clapped as "Wood, Sabrina" went to Gryffindor.  
  
The black-haired boy that had stood in front of me, "Ziv, Red" also went to Gryffindor, and then Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the stool and Sorting Hat away.  
  
"I'm hungry," said Alex, and I looked up to see a tall man with a long, sweeping silver beard and hair to match who I knew to be Albus Dumbledore stand. He was beaming at us all, as though seeing us here was the happiest moment of his life.  
  
"Welcome! Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts! I would like to say a few words, but as you all are itching to make a dent in this scrumptious feast, they will have to wait. Eat up!"  
  
Amidst loud and approving cheers he sat back down.  
  
I turned to Alex.  
  
"What feast?"  
  
He beckoned at the table. I looked down. My mouth dropped open.  
  
The golden plates, which had previously been empty, were now filled to bursting with food. It looked like a combination of five of Mum's Christmas, Halloween, and Easter feasts all in one. I eagerly filled my plate with my favorite things and dug in.  
  
"So," said one of the dirty-blonde twins, looking at Alex and I from her spot across the table. "Who're you again?"  
  
"Phoenix Orion," I said through a mouthful of warm roll. Alex had to finish chewing an exceptionally large peppermint humbug ('Peppermint humbug?' I wondered briefly) before he could introduce himself.  
  
"Ah!" said the girl's twin, a boy with identical hair that only reached the bottoms of his ears. "Our mum went to school with your dad!"  
  
"Really?" said Alex, looking as though he'd much rather be eating. A bit disgruntled, the girl turned to me.  
  
"Orion, you said? I don't know any family by that name . . . are you Muggle- born?"  
  
"Oh, no," I said, abandoning my food. "I'm pureblood, but I'm an only child and I grew up with my mum -"  
  
"Where's your dad?" she cut in. I paused for a moment.  
  
"I'm not sure. Mum never talks about him."  
  
"Oh," she said, giving me a strange sort of look. "Hmm."  
  
"Who're you?" I asked. The girl brightened.  
  
"I'm Dawnielle Limbaugh, and this is my twin brother, Damen Limbaugh."  
  
"Hello," said Damen Limbaugh vaguely to me, helping himself to roast.  
  
Once everyone had eaten as much as they could, the food faded away and the dishes sparkled for a minute. Then desserts appeared. I heaped blocks of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream into my dish and stuck my spoon in. Next to me, Alex filled his plate full with five slices of apple pie. At my questioning look, he said, "I like apple pie."  
  
As I refilled my dish with different flavors of ice cream, Dawnielle Limbaugh spoke up again.  
  
"So what do you think classes will be like?"  
  
"I have no idea," I said, putting down my spoon. "I'm looking forward to History of Magic, my mum is teaching that now, and Defense Against the Dark Arts looks interesting, and Potions too!"  
  
"Well, I can't wait for Transfiguration," Damen piped up. "Have you looked through the text? The theories! Makes my mind whirl."  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures," Dawnielle said.  
  
"Quidditch," Alex grunted, and we all collapsed into laughter.  
  
While Alex chugged his way through more apple pie and some chocolate ice cream beside me, I looked up at the High Table, starting to feel very sleepy. I scanned the teachers, pointing them out to Dawnielle, who told me who they were.  
  
"Oh, the one with the bushy brown hair? That's Hermione Granger, she's been teaching Arithmancy for a while now, dunno how long, but it sounds like an interesting subject. That one? With the hair sort of like yours?" Suddenly Dawnielle giggled. "That's Draco Malfoy. He's very cute, isn't he?"  
  
I looked at Draco Malfoy. He was pushing food around his plate, occasionally glancing up. He met my eyes and stared for a moment before averting his gaze. I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully.  
  
I looked to Draco Malfoy's left and saw a man with shiny black hair (several light gray hairs sprinkled here and there that even I could see from way down here), a hooked nose, and pale skin. His black eyes ('Cool!' I thought briefly, 'I want black eyes!') were fixed on my mum. Glancing down at her I noticed that she looked quite pale and kept shooting slightly scared looks at Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Who's that man with the hooked nose?" I asked quietly. Dawnielle looked up from her pudding.  
  
"Oh, that's Snape. I think his first name is Severus. He's Potions teacher. He has a most interesting past."  
  
"Really?" I said, intrigued. "Tell me."  
  
"He's a real hero. When we were about two years old, he saved the wizarding world." She paused dramatically. "He went along with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Albus Dumbledore to meet Voldemort. They called him You-Know-Who back then; can you believe being scared of a name? But anyway, they went to meet Voldemort, but Snape was a Death Eater spy for Dumbledore and Voldemort didn't know it. So he went under the mask of a Death Eater, and when the battle broke out, he pretended to fight for Voldemort, casting charms that were really harmless and missing on purpose. Then, in the final dregs of the battle, when Harry Potter was getting ready to face Voldemort, he turned on the Death Eaters. He Stunned at least thirty of them before they knew what was happening. He saw Harry Potter leave to find Voldemort, and he followed. He found them in a room at the very top of the fortress, Harry Potter on his knees and Voldemort speaking the first word of the killing curse. Snape cast the first spell he thought of - the Disarming Charm - and Voldemort's wand flew into not his hand, but Harry Potter's hand. Before Voldemort could do a thing, Potter killed him."  
  
I was silent for a moment, digesting this information.  
  
"But - Harry Potter saved the wizarding world, not him."  
  
"No, you see, if he hadn't been there, Harry Potter would be dead. Voldemort would be ruling, and this would be a school for the Dark Arts. We wouldn't be eating dessert right now, but casting the Cruciatus Curse."  
  
"Wow," I whispered, looking back up at the hook-nosed man. "I didn't know."  
  
At last, the desserts too disappeared and Dumbledore stood again. The hall fell silent.  
  
"Now that we have made quite an admirable dent in the feast, my words must be spoken.  
  
"First years should not that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. A few older students might remember that as well."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes flickered toward the Gryffindor table.  
  
"I have been asked by Mr. Filch, our caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used in the corridors.  
  
"Quidditch try-outs will be held the second week of term. I would strongly suggest that you all try out and help fill up our teams. I suspect there is plenty of room, as there are three teams per house.  
  
"And now, before we go to bed let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. I noticed that although Mum looked pleased, McGonagall and Snape did not.  
  
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a long silver ribbon flew out of it, which rose above the tables and twisted, snake-like, into words.  
  
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"  
  
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald Or young with scabby knees, Our heads could do with filling With some interesting stuff, For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff, So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot."  
  
Everyone sang a different song and finished at a different time. I picked a rather fast tune and was finished quickly, but Damen and Dawnielle both sang in very deep, sad, mournful tones and ended three words after everyone else.  
  
"Music," said Dumbledore, blinking rapidly as tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, "The finest magic of all. Off you trot!"  
  
The Slytherin first years followed a tall, willowy girl with curly black hair out of the hall. I leaned on Alex as we started down a sloping corridor just off the Great Hall. He didn't seem to mind. He was too sleepy to care.  
  
We kept walking down, and down - once or twice we passed through walls, but that was about it for excitement.  
  
Finally we stopped at a stretch of bare wall.  
  
"Dragon blood," the curly-haired girl said to the wall. It seemed to melt away and we stepped through.  
  
I was about ready to collapse onto an overstuffed green couch by a crackling fire, but the girl was speaking. She directed girls through one door and boys through another; I said good night to Alex and joined Dawnielle at the door. We opened it and were met with a long corridor.  
  
"Come on," said Dawnielle and we walked down it, looking at the doors that branched off. 'Seventh Years', one said. 'Fifth Years'. I watched my side, she watched hers. 'Third Years'. 'First Years'.  
  
"Here we are," I said, pointing to the door. Dawnielle pushed it open and we filed in.  
  
It was a square room with six four-poster beds. Our trunks were already sitting on the beds, Sthira asleep on mine. I shoved my trunk under my bed (the second on the right from the door) and collapsed by my cat, not bothering to change.  
  
"Lovely food . . ." Dawnielle muttered from her bed next to mine (right next to the door).  
  
"Yeah." I replied, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.  
  
A/N: You like? We know loads of things are different, and we'll explain most of them. If you have any questions, leave a review and we'll answer them next chapter.  
  
Platform Eight and Two Thirds: We're taking into account that there may have been an attack on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Thus, they need a new entryway that leads to the same platform. Eight and Two Thirds is fairly close, as we've seen someone use Ten and One Half before and wanted to be original.  
  
The Quidditch stuff is all way different, that will be explained in coming chapters.  
  
There are loads less people because these were born in war. This year's first years were born in Harry's fifth year. More about Phoenix's mum and her will be explained later as well.  
  
Harry and Ginny named their eldest son 'Tom' because that was Lord Voldemort's real name. Ginny had the whole incident in her first year with Tom's diary and Voldemort tried to kill Harry a bunch of times, so it was a mutual agreement to name him that.  
  
Yes, we know, Buttleworth Binns isn't the History of Magic ghost's real name, but the books never said, so Cassiopeia came up with it. Lyra had no part in it.  
  
I think that's everything. Hope you've enjoyed it! Next chapter will be up soon, so review and make us happy! 


End file.
